Tube cleaner motor



5 Sheets-Sheet l P. E. GOOD TUBE CLEANER MOTOR Filed Nov. 22, '1958 May 20, 1941.

. Zawenfm' GOOG! May 20, 1941. P. E. GOOD TUBE CLEANER MOTOR- 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1938 May 20, 1941. P E, GOOD l 2,243,005

TUBE CLEANER MOTOR Patented May 2G, 194i narran stares rarest orties TUBE CLEANER MOTGR Paul E. Good, Riverton, N. J.

Application November 22, 1938, Serial No. 241,858

20 Claims.

IThis invention relates to tube cleaner motors and the like, and is an improvement upon the construction shown in my copending applications Serial Numbers 16,719, filed April 16, 1935, for Rotary motor, 155,809, filed July 26, 1937, for Tube cleaner motor, now patents numbered 2,141,982 and 2,154,328, respectively; and 224,395, filed August 11, 1938, for Tube cleaner motor.

The motors of such prior applications comprise a spirally grooved cylinder and a shaft bearing rotatable pistons for ccaction with the grooves of the cylinder.

important objects of the present invention are the elimination of exhaust through the cylinder of the motor in the sense of directly exhausting the uid pressure from the grooves of the cylinder to the exterior of the cylinder itself; the provision of a motor chamber readily converted from simple to compound by the mere substitution of one shaft for'another therein; the provision of a construction which will permit the use of tube cutters which operate r'eversely to one another and which accordingly, materia-lily reduce the rotative effort exerted upon the mctcr through the cutter action; the provision of means in a motor of this type in which the shaft is rotating for positioning the pistons during periods of disuse of the motor; the use of a construction in which a governor is readily incorporated and the provision of an arrangement facilitating assembly and Irepair' of the device.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through a motor constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the shaft of the motor of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an illustration of a shaft body showing t a constr ction providing multi-stage operation;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing a modified form of motor incorporating a governor and adapted for the use of two oppositely rotating cutters;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the shaft assembly of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a shaft body interchangeably useable with that shown in Fig. 5;

Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are characteristic sections through the shafts of the motors as indicated by the section lines on Figs. 1 to 6;

Fig. 13 is a section on line I3--I3 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are characteristic sections on lines M--ML l5-l5, and iE-E of Figs. 1 or 4;

Fig. 1'7 is a typical end elevation of the motor; and

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary side elevation of the cylinder showing the exhaust ports.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 10 thereof, the numeral lll generally designates a stationary casing having provision at one end for the introduction of fluid pressure thereto, as generally indicated at il. Within this casing a shaft l2 is rotatably supported in bearings I3 and M, and surrounding the shaft is a cylinder l5, likewise rotatably supported by the shaft and operating. between thrust abutments i6 interposed between the cylinder and the casing. Cylinder l5 has internally arranged circumferential bands of spiral grooves l1 adapted for coaction with the lobes I8 of rotatable piston elements I9 supported in aV slot Zl formed in the shaft. Shaft I2 comprises the inner body element 2l in which the diametral slot 2i! is formed, such body element, at opposite sides being grooved for the passage of pressure and exhaust fluids.

The grooving vat each side of the slot may comprise simply an intake groove 22 and an exhaust groove 23, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 to 10, or may, as shown in Figure 3, comprise an intake groove 22a, an intermediate groove 24, and an exhaust groove 23a, the purpose of which will presently appear. In either instance the body member is surrounded by a sleeve 25 having an intake port 26 for each groove series and an exhaust port 2l for each groove series, these ports registering respectively with the leading and trailing portions of the grooves of the series with which they are associated to extents which may be best determined by they conditions under which the motor is to operate, and acting in effect after he manner of the contro-l valves of the ordinary steam engine.

Where sleeve 25 is applied to the body member 2l of Fig. 2, all of the intake ports 26 will communicate with the intake grooves 22 of the body member and all of the exhaust ports 21 will communicate with the exhaust grooves 23 thereof. When applied to the body member 21a of Figure 3, the intake port 26 adjacent the inlet end alone communicates with the groove 22a while the remaining intake ports communicate with the intermediate groove 24. Similarly, the initial exhaust port 2l, or that nearest the intake end, communicates with the intermediate groove, while the remaining exhaust ports communicate with the exhaust grooves 23a.

Thus, with the shaft body of Figure 2, the engine is a simple expansion engine, the fluid after expansion in the grooves being directly conducted to the exhaust, while in the form shown in Figure 3, the fluid received in the initial set of grooves is conducted by the intermediate groove of the body to the remaining groove series of the cylinder for further expansion therein before delivery to the exhaust providing a compound motor. Sincethe shafts, as will be obvious from a comparison of these figures, are freely interchangeable, the motor may, at will, be transformed from simple to compound, or vice versa. Y

The sleeve has slots r2B for the passage. of the lobes of the pistons located in the idiametral slot 2l), and Within the slot 20 are arranged springpressed followers 2B which 'engage thepistons and constantly urge them outwardly when the shaft is at rest. When, as in the present instance the shaft rotates, the centrifugal effort of these followers moves them radially outwardly so that they disengage the pistons I9v which at that time will have considerable centrifugal effort cf their own which will serve'to insure their proper engagement in the slots of the cylinder. However, as pointed out in the prior applications above identified, the direction of rotation of .the pistons will usually be madesuch that the gyroscopic effort thereof resulting from their rotation about their own centers and about the axis of shaft I2 will cause a gripping between the pistons, reducing such effort to a considerable extent and :thereby preventing undue wear between the pistons and the walls of the cylinder grooves. The Walls of the slo-t 20 are preferably providedwith hardened steel or composition inserts 39 against which the pistons seat during rotation thereof.

'Bearing I3 is held against the intake end of shaft I2 by a collar 3| having an extension 32 V:threaded into the adjacent tubular endof the shaft and the shaft, inwardly of this collar, has ports 33 communicating with the intake grooves 22 or 22a as the case may be. Seated upon the periphery of the intake end of the shaft against the bearing I3 is a bevel gear Sli against which the adjacent end of the sleeve 25 abuts. The opposite end of this sleeve is abutted by a collar 35 threaded on the shaft end 36. The shaft end isprojected and threaded or 4otherwise adapted, as at 35a, for the application of a cutter. The thrust element I6 eng-aging the outer end of cylindergl, is spaced from the adjacent end 0f the casing, thus'providing an annular chamber 31 from which outlet ports 3B are formed in the end casing wall. The end VVexhaust port 21 is elon-V gated so that its outer end communicates with theannular chamber 3l', in a manner hereinafter described.

The casing i@ is formed in three sections, of which the central section comprises an annular ring 38 having threadedv engagement with the end sections.' 'This annular ring mounts a plurality of' bevel gears d which -Inesh with the gear 34 and with a gear il formed on the end of the cylinder. It will be obvious that during operation "of the motor, the casing IU being stationary,

the cylinder and shaft will rotate reversely so that for a' given speed of the shaft I2 the capacity of the motoris idoubled as regards its capacity were the cylinder I5 stationary.

, Since both the cylinder and shaft rotate, it is obviously possible #to utilize both in the operation of cutters. The cylinder I5 has a sleevelike ex- .tension 42 surrounding the exhaust end of shaft AI2, such extension having a circumferential series of ports `i3 for communication with the annular chamber `31 of casing III. The outer end of the extension 42 has a reduced portion forming the bearing I4 for the reduced end portion 36 of shaft lf2. The reduced portion `MI of cylinder I5 is adapted at 4I for the reception of a cutter 48, while the end 36 of shaft I2 is provided with cutter `591| of slightly less diameter than the cutter As in the construction illustrated in my copending application, Serial No. 224,395, for Tube cleaner motor, the inner end of the slot in the shaft body is closed by a removable plug P to prevent incoming air from passage into this slot. When this plug is removed, the spring-pressed followers 29 may, likewise, be removed, following which :the rotary pistons l may bemoved into the confines of the shaft and Athe shaft bodily withdrawn from the cylinder. Y

In Figures 4, 5, 6 and l13, I have illustrated a modification of the structure of the remaining figures to enable incorporation of a governor G.

The applied governor is substantially identical with that described in my copending application Serial No. 155,809 above identified, now Patent No. 2,154,328. In applying the governor, the shaft is provided with a head 5I, the inner face of which is formed with an annular channel 52 communicating with the hollow forward end 53 of the shaft and thus, through the ports 3l3, with vthe intake grooves 22 or 22a of the shaft body.

Head 5l abuts removable head 54 for casing Ilia through a thrust bearing 55. I-Iead 5I at its inner end forms a sea-t for the gear 34a corresponding directly to the gear -34 and against which lthe sleeve 25d abuts. This head is formed in tWo sectionsv detachably connected and constructed to provide mounts for radially disposed thimbles 56 having ports 51 communicating with the annular passageway 52. The interiors of these thimbles are open and communicate with .the hollow interior of the head which is, in turn, in -communication with the intake fitting `58 of the motor. The removable plug P' employed in this structure has a head P2 which interiorly ts the head '5| between groove 52 and the open inner ends of the thimbles. The plug P is removable, as in the case of plug P. Slidable in these thimbles are valves 5t which are constantly urged inwardly by springs 69. When in the innermost posi-tion, ports in these valves align with the por-ts 51 of the thimbles 55 and, obviously, as the speed of the motor increases and the valves move outwardly by centrifugal force, the amount of air entering the motor chamber will be constantly reduced until it is finally a minimum.

It will be obvious that in this type of construction when two cutters are employed the opposite rotation of lthe cutters will minimize or altogether Icounteract the torque reaction upon the motor as ya result of the cutting opera-tion, thus relieving the operator of considerable strain in holdin-g the same. It will also be obvious that in this type of construction, Where desired, a single cutter applied to either the shaft orcylin` der may be utilized.

Obviously, the construction principles employed in the above illustrations, while disclosed as' for use in motors, may be readily adapted for use as compressors or pumps, and since considerable change is otherwise possible in the general structure without departing from the spirit of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the particular forms illustrated except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a tube cleaner motor, oppositely rotating cylinder and piston bearing shaft elements, and a cutter for and driven by each element.

2. In a rotary motor or the like, concentric relatively rotatable cylinder and shaft elements, the outer element comprising the cylinder and being provided on its inner surface with a circumferential series of spiral grooves, means to introduce fluid pressure to said grooves and exhaust fluid pressure therefrom, the shaft fitting Within the cylinder, rotatable pistons carried by said shaft and having lobes meshing with said grooves and blocking said grooves from end to end during their passage therethrough, the shaft having a slot in Which the body portions of the pistons are disposed, and gearing connecting said shaft and cylinder whereby the shaft and cylinder are reversely rotated.

3. Ina rotary motor or the like, relatively rotatable cylinder and shaft elements, the outer element comprising the cylinder and being provided on its inner surface with a circumferential series of spiral grooves, means to introduce fluid pressure to said grooves and exhaust fluid pressure therefrom, the shaft fitting Within the cylinder, rotatable pistons carried by said shaft and having lobes meshing with said grooves and blocking said grooves from end to end during their passage therethrough, the shaft having a slot in which the body portions of the pistons are disposed, the inner portions of the piston elements being in confronting overlapping relation, said piston elements rotating in opposite directions upon relative rotation of said inner and outer members, and gearing` connecting said shaft and cylinder whereby the shaft and cylinder are reversely rotated.

4. In a rotary motor or the like, a rotating shaft element, a rotatable cylinder element, said cylinder having in its surface a plurality of circumferential series of spiral grooves and said shaft mounting rotatable pistons for each groove series having lobes blocking said grooves from end to end as the elements are relatively rotated, said shaft comprising a body portion having intermediate its ends a series of grooves comprising supply grooves and exhaust grooves and further having a slot mounting said pistons, and sleeve means sealingly engaged with the ends of the body portion and the surface of the body portion between said grooves and between said grooves and slots, said sleeve means having slots for the passage of the lobes of said pistons and having ports formed therein, said ports comprising supply ports for the delivery of pressure to the grooves of the cylinder from the supply grooves of the shaft and exhaust ports communicating with the grooves of the cylinder for the exhaust of pressure fluid from the grooves of the cylinder to the exhaust grooves of the shaft.

5. In a rotaryv motor or the like, a rotating shaft element, a rotatable cylinder element, Said cylinder having in its surface a plurality of longitudinally spaced series of spiral grooves and said shaft mounting rotatable pistons having lobes blocking said grooves of each series from end to end as the elements are relatively rotated, said shaft comprising a body portion having inter'- mediate its ends a plurality of grooves comprising supply grooves, exhaust grooves and intermediate grooves and further having a slot mounting said pistons, sleeve means sealingly engaged with the ends of the body portion with theI surface of the body portion between said grooves and between said grooves and slots, said sleeve means having slots for the passage of the lobes of said pistons and supply ports for the delivery of pressure to the grooves of one of the groove series of the cylinder communicating with said supply grooves, exhaust ports communicating with the grooves of said series for the exhaust of pressurev fluid from the grooves thereof to said intermediate grooves, supply ports for supplying fluid from the intermediate grooves to the remaining groove series of the cylinder and exhaust ports for conducting fiuid from the grooves of said remaining groove series of the cylinder to the exhaust grooves of the shaft.

6. In a rotary motor or the like, a rotating shaft element, a rotatable cylinder element, said cylinder having in its surface a plurality of circumferential series of spiral grooves and said shaft mounting rotatable pistons for each groove series having lobes blocking said grooves from end to end as the elements are relatively rotated, said shaft having a series of passages comprising intake and exhaust passages and having ports formed therein, said ports comprising supply ports for delivery of pressure to the grooves of the cylinder from the supply passages of the shaft and exhaust ports communicating With the grooves of the cylinder for the vexhaust of fluid pressure from the grooves of the cylinder to the exhaust passages of the shaft.

7. In a rotary motor or the like, a rotating shaft element, a rotatable cylinder element, said cylinder h aving in its surf-ace a plurality of circumferential series of spiral grooves and said shaft mounting rotatable pistons for each gro-ove series having lobes blocking said grooves from end to end as the elements are relatively rotated, said shaft having a series of pass-ages comprising intake passages, exhaust passages, and intermediate passages, and further having ports, said ports comprising supply ports for the delivery of pressure to the grooves of one of the groove series of the cylinder from the intake passages of the shaft, exhaust ports communicating with the grooves of said series for the exhaust of fluid pressure from the grooves thereof to said intermediate passages, supply ports for supplying fluid from the intermediate passages to the remaining groove series of the cylinder and exhaust ports for conducting fluid from the grooves of said remaining groove series of the cylinder to the exhaust passages of the shaft.

8. The device of claimlwherein a pair of interchangeable shafts. provided and interchanging of the shafts converts the motor from simple to compound.

9. In a tube cleaner motor, oppositely rotating cylinder and piston bearing shaft elements, a cutter for and driven by each element, and a governor controlling the speed of the shaft.

10. In a rotary motor or the like, concentric relatively rotatable cylinder and shaft elements, the outer element comprising the cylinder and being provi-ded on its inner surface with a circumferential series of spiral grooves, means to introduce fluid pressure to said grooves and exhaust fiuid pressure therefrom, the shaft fitting within the cylinder and having a slot, rotatable pistons carried by said shaft and partially disposed in said slot and having lobes meshing with said grooves and blocking said grooves from end to end during their passage therethrough, and spring-pressed followers holding said'pistons in extended position.

11. In a rotary motor or the like, concentric relatively rotatable cylinder and shaft elements, the outer element comprising the cylinder and being provided on its inner surface with a circumferential series o-f spiral grooves, means to introduce fluid pressure to said grooves and exhaust fluid pressure therefrom, the shaft fitting within the cylinder and having a slot, rotatable pistons Acarried by said shaft and partially disposed in said slot and having lobes meshing with said grooves and blocking said grooves from end to end during their passage therethrough, and spring-pressed followers holding said pistons in extended position, said slot opening through an end of said shaft to permit removal of said followers, said pistons'having a diameter such that they may be positioned within the confines of the shaft when said followers are removed.

12. In a rotary motor or the like, concentric relatively rotatable cylinder and shaft elements, the outer element comprising the cylinder and being provided on its inner surface with a circumferential series of spiral grooves, means to introduce fluid pressure to said grooves and exhaust fluid pressure therefrom, the shaft fitting within the cylinder and having a slot, rotatable pistons carried by said shaft and partially disposed in said slot and having loloes meshing with said grooves and blocking said grooves from end to end during their passage therethrough, and spring-pressed followers holding said pistons in extended position, said slot opening thro-ugh an end of said shaft to permit removal of said followers, said pistons having a diameter such that they may be positioned within the confines of the shaft when said followers are removed, a removable plug closing the slot at said end of the shaft.

13. A motor comprising reversely rotatable cylinder and piston-bearing shaft elements and a stationary casing element, a cutter driven by each of said cylinder and shaft and geared connections between said cylinder, casing and shaft elements whereby the relative speeds of the cylinder and shaft exceed the speed of either cutter.

14. A motor comprising reversely rotatable cylinder and piston-bearing shaft elements and a stationary casing element, a cutter driven by each of said cylinder and shaft, geared connections between said cylinder, casing and shaft elements whereby the relative speeds of the cylinder and shaft exceed the speed of either cutter, and a governor controlling the relative speeds of the shaft and cylinder.

15. In a rotary motor or the like relatively rotatable cylinder and shaft elements, geared connections between said cylinder and shaft elements whereby they are reversely rotated, a member continuously driven by each of said elements during operation of the motor, said cylinder having in its surface a plurality of circumferential series of spiral grooves and said shaft elements mounting rotatable pistons for each groove series having lobes blocking said grooves from end to end as the elements are re1- atively rotated, said' shaft elements being two in number, one of said shafts having ports for delivery of fluid pressure from a suitable source to each of the groove series of said cylinder and exhaust ports for the exhaust of fluid pressure therefrom, the other of the shafts having intake ports for the delivery of fluid pressure from said source to the ports of the rst of the groove series and transfer ports for transferring fluid pressure from the preceding groove series to a succeeding groove series, the last of the groove series being in communication with exhaust ports for the exhaust of fluid pressure therefrom, said shafts being interchangeable whereby to convert the motor from simple to compound.

16. In a rotary motor or the like relatively rotatable cylinder and shaft elements, geared connections between said lcylinder and shaft elements whereby they are reversely rotated, a member continuously driven by each of said elements during operation of the motor, said cylinder having in its surface a plurality of circumferential series of spiral grooves and said shaft elements mounting rotatable pistons for each groove series having lobes blocking said grooves from end to end as the elements are relatively rotated, said shaft elements being two in number, one of said shafts having ports for delivery of fluid pressure from a suitable source to each of the groove series of said cylinder and exhaust ports for the exhaust of fluid pressure therefrom, the other of the shafts having intake ports for the delivery of fluid pressure from said source to the ports of the first of the groove series and transfer ports for transferring fluid pressure from the preceding groove series to a succeeding groove series, the last of the groove series being in communication with exhaust ports for the exhaust of fluid pressure therefrom, said pistons being of a size such that they may be withdrawn within the shaft, and said shafts being interchangeable whereby to convert the motor from simple to compound.

17. In a tube cleaner motor oppositely rotating cylinder and piston-bearing shaft elements, a cutter for and driven by each element and a stationary casing concentric with and surrounding said elements.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the casing includes gears operating upon stationary pivots and coacting with gears carried by the cylinder and shaft elements whereby to insure reverse rotation of said elements.

19. In a tube cleaner motor oppositely rotating piston bearing shaft and cylinder elements, a cutter for and driven by ,each element, a governor controlling the relative speeds of the shaft and cylinder and a stationary casing concentric with the shaft and cylinder and housing the same.

20. 'Ihe device of claim 19 wherein the casing includes gears operating upon stationary pivots and coacting with gears carried by the cylinder and shaft elements whereby to insure reverse rotation of said elements.

PAUL E. GOOD. 

